Update: Petra is doing GREAT! Getting around really well and enjoying long walks. I wrote a little something about our experience that I’m posting here in the hope it might be helpful to another tripod facing TPLO one day.

Here are some of the challenges we faced with Petra’s recovery from TPLO on her remaining back leg.

The numero uno, biggest challenge to overcome? My expectations. The surgeon who performed Petra’s TPLO told me that because she was a tripod, I could expect her to be walking and using her leg again a week after surgery. This may be true for some tripods, but I’m skeptical! Petra did not walk until almost 12 weeks post surgery, so that benchmark haunted me throughout her recovery. As each week went by without significant progress, I worried she would never walk again, worried that I’d put her through another big surgery in vain. And because there aren’t many rear tripods who undergo TPLO, I couldn’t draw on the experience of others like I could when Petra had her amputation. So if there’s one bit of advice I would give it would be to have patience and trust that your dog will use their leg when they are ready and not a moment sooner!

Second biggest challenge was the level of agitation Petra exhibited, especially in the first few weeks PO. She would have episodes of repeated barking and whining at all hours of the day and night, despite being well medicated for pain. I’m guessing it was partly due pent up energy and boredom. Regular dosing of trazadone helped curb this. It was a rough patch for us both!

Getting around was also a challenge. Petra required help/support getting around the house and outside for a full 11 weeks. A basic sling worked pretty well but using a help em up harness was a life saver, especially to get her to and from PT appointments. Booty support was critical for her.

Potty time was less challenging for me as Petra insisted on crab walking on her own to take care of business. However, I believe this—more contact with her booty on the ground—contributed to several UTIs during recovery, which impeded her progress (and caused her discomfort). After the first one, I stayed on high alert to catch subsequent infections early. Not sure if there are other factors related to recovery or meds that lead to UTIs . . .

Petra went to about 10 PT sessions, which included cold laser and walking on the underwater treadmill, which I think helped with her recovery (we finished with PT a couple weeks before she started walking again). I tried a K9 cart for her, but she was not a fan. I also tried to give her rides around the neighborhood in a gorilla cart (similar to a wagon) but she hated it! This was a dog who lived for daily walks, but until she could walk under her own power, she had no interest in my alternatives.

During recovery I picked up a couple of food puzzles and started feeding kibble on a snuffle mat to give Petra some brain exercise—the snuffle mat was especially popular.

We are now four months post op and Petra is doing amazingly well! She’s back to daily walks and is able to get around really well. I think her “new knee” is providing even more stability than she had before the injury. If I had to do it over again, I would make the same decision. The recovery is brutal but the results make the surgery totally worth it.